The Australian Opals have booked their place within the 2022 FIBA Ladies’s World Cup semi-finals.
After a storming win in opposition to Belgium on Thursday, they set up a blockbuster conflict in opposition to heavyweights China on Friday evening for a spot within the gold medal recreation.
Australia have been constructing and constructing as this event has progressed and — in opposition to a Belgium group lacking their key piece in Emma Meesseman — the Opals took full benefit and bullied their approach into the paint to attain at will.
The Opals have been centered on shifting the ball and getting it into the palms of Marianna Tolo and Sara Blicavs within the submit, and each made their early minutes rely as they took what the Belgium defence was giving them and received to the basket.
A wonderful Steph Talbot spin transfer that she completed with a lay-up received the gang on their ft, and when Lauren Jackson checked in for the primary time and instantly related on a triple, the Sydney Superdome erupted.
There was a way that this Opals group knew what it took to defeat Belgium and so they executed that to perfection.
It began with ball motion and constructing an inside presence that compelled Belgium to protect the bigs within the paint, which then, as the sport went on, opened up room for the shooters to do their factor from past the arc.
The consistency of the Opals on each ends of the courtroom was completely elite and each participant now has a clearly outlined position, six video games into the event.
Within the largest recreation of the event thus far, Australia rose to the event and performed stunning, unrelenting basketball, defending for his or her lives down one finish and shifting the ball down the opposite to create open pictures.
The Opals’ 15-point half-time lead, at 52-37, solely elevated because the second half received underway.
Australia went on a 9-0 run to fully blow the sport aside because the trio of Blicavs, Tolo and Cayla George went to work.
It took virtually half-way by way of the third quarter for Belgium to lastly break by way of Australia’s defence and rating, whereas all of Belgium’s misses have been instantly swallowed up by the Opals’ rebound-hungry gamers.
Extremely, Australia more-than-doubled Belgium’s rebounds, ending with an astonishing 48 to Belgium’s 23.
This was the results of understanding the scout of Belgium being undersized, but in addition the clear and unwavering need to get the job finished.
There’s nothing glamorous about rebounding — it is all concerning the need, and Australia had that in spades.
The second half turned all about Cayla George as she adopted up a dominant exhibiting in opposition to Japan a day earlier with one other monster efficiency of 19 factors, 9 rebounds and a pair of assists, main Australia to a memorable 86-69 win.
Her response after being taken out of the beginning line-up previous to the sport in opposition to Japan has been nothing wanting extraordinary.
As an alternative of dropping her head or complaining, she received on with the job and helped lead Australia to the semi-finals.
“It is a ‘pinch-me’ second,” Cayla George informed the ABC after the win.
“Numerous laborious work, bodily and mentally, has gone into this second proper now and I most likely will not replicate on it till later with my household, however it’s properly overdue and it is the place the Opals needs to be.
“There’s simply been fully ‘pinch-me’ moments on a regular basis.
“Taking part in with Lauren: pinch-me second. Taking part in at house: pinch-me second.
“All of it has simply been pinch-me moments. I am simply actually having fun with every second, every day, and simply attempting to soak up all of it.”
For an Opals group that had many query marks hanging over their heads previous to the event, they’ve answered every problem in resounding style, ever since dropping their opening recreation in opposition to France.
Many dreaded that end result could be what this Opals group could be remembered for, however that’s now a distant reminiscence as they roar right into a semi-final conflict in opposition to China at their house World Cup.
In different outcomes, Group USA dealt with enterprise in opposition to a spirited Serbia, who hung round for the primary half however have been overrun as the sport went on.
Kelsey Plum top-scored, with 17 factors, whereas Alyssa Thomas (13 factors, 14 rebounds and seven assists) did all of it because the USA got here away with a 33-point win, at 88-55.
The gold medal favourites will face Canada of their semi-final after the Canadians proved far too good for Puerto Rico of their quarter-final conflict.
Former star of the Canberra Capitals within the WNBL, Kia Nurse, led the way in which for Canada with 17 factors of their 79-60 win.
China booked their tickets to the semi finals with a hard-fought win over France.
Sharpshooter Li Meng (23 factors) was instrumental within the 85-71 win and Australia might want to guard her carefully tonight in the event that they wish to play off for a gold medal on Saturday.
